Friday 5

This weeks topic by Colleen.

The 5 most profound moments of my life.

1. Marrying Merideth. Merideth is a smart, smart lady and I will never fully comprehend how she allowed herself to be hoodwinked into marrying me. She just wasn't paying attention, I guess. I remember nothing about our wedding. Not a blessed thing. The pictures look lovely, and the stories sound great, but from about 3 pm to the next morning is a total haze to me. My mind was too busy processing "She married me, she married me" to actually
pay attention to anything else going on. The realization of how Merideth
must see me in order to marry me was intense, and basically everything I have done since is an attempt to live up to her idea of me.

2. Merlin. One day, Merideth and I were driving in my parent's Volvo. It
was January. We had been back from our Europe trip for 5 months. I had just taken a job as an assistant teacher, which paid lousy but had good benefits. We were a few blocks from our crappy, rental duplex, and all of a sudden we both decided it was time to get pregnant. It was as if Merlin has planted the idea of her in our heads simultaneously. The fact of her changed our lives. We quit our crappy jobs, escaped from the high cost of Austin to the relatively low cost of Wichita Falls, we both got real jobs and slowly started to construct a life that could support children. When she was born, it was amazing. So very small. She was born with pneumonia. She had doctors running around, people telling me we may have to helicopter to Dallas, scaring me half to death. But she got better quickly, and all of a sudden I had a family.

3. Gavin. I was worried about Gavin in a way I was never worried about Merlin. I worried about almost everything. Merideth and I were still struggling financially, but because I now cared about money stuff, our lack
of it seemed all too daunting. I was worried about living in Wichita
Falls. I was about to have two kids, and I hated where we lived. It was great being around Merideth's family, but Wichita Falls had nothing of the
things I valued. Film, theatre, Music, Art. Nothing. I worried that our
kids would not develop the love of art that I so wanted them to. I was worried they would grow up Republican. I was worried about a repeat of Merlin's infant sickness, or worse. He was born, and I stopped worrying. It was an instant relief to hold him in my arms. If I could do this, I could do anything. So, Gavin changed our lives. We moved into Merideth's parents 1 room garage apartment to hit our bills really hard. And then we made plans to return to Austin. We moved to Wichita so Merlin could have stability. We moved back to Austin so Gavin could have art.

4. Casey. Here is the one I have been dreading since Colleen told me the topic. I have yet to write much on Casey's death. It is impossible for me to think about her death without re-experiencing the days before she died, and I never, ever want to re-experience those days. Those days I prayed to God, I threatened God, I bargained with God, I pledged loyalty if Casey came through and I swore revenge if she did not. Never have I felt so powerless, so alone. In the end, what I learned is that your faith or your prayer or your anger or your love cannot save someone else. It can only teach you how to cope with the loss. I miss her every day.

5. The Yad Vashem Holocaust museum Children's Memorial. I was 17 when I went to Jerusalem and saw this memorial. I hear it has been duplicated at holocaust museums around the world, but this is where I saw it first. You enter a dark room with millions of burning candles. Voices read out the names, ages and countries of the 1.5 million children killed during
the Holocaust. Upon closer inspection, you see that the candles are
reflections of 1 candle, burning in the center of the room. All the lights are connected to this one burning flame. It is remarkable.

My, that was wordy. So a quick list of honorable mentions, and we are done.

- My first viewing of Star Wars. This shaped the course of my life.
- Tintagel, on the Northern Coast of Cornwall, and the location where Arthur was conceived by Uther and Igraine. It is the prettiest place on the planet.
- St. Anne's Church, Jerusalem. St. Anne's is built next to the Bethesda Fountain, and is the prettiest church in Jerusalem. More importantly than that, the acoustics are so perfect that a tone can be heard six seconds after the singer stops. When Gregorian style chants fill this chapel, it is remarkable to hear.

Other Friday 5 Participants. Merideth, Adam, Melissa, Chris, Dave and Gina.

Sorry about the address change...

Hello all. Sorry about the address change, but I was making some improvments to the blog here and I had to change the site address to make it work right. Basically, I did a sloppy job of building my first blog and now that I have fix it.

On the plus side, I have added a new comments thing, again. But this time, I built it using a script on my server, instead of a remote comments server, so there will be no more flakiness. Yeah...

Dog-gone comments feature

The comments server for my Blog seems to be down. Not sure what is going on, but hopefully it will be up soon. I am working on getting a comments system that runs off of my server and not someone else's, but that involves technical stuff that takes me months to deals with.

Monday late evening found me standing in line at the local Wal-Mart with about 100 other really geeky people so that we could get our grubby little hands on Two Towers as soon as possible. And so, at 12:30 AM I was watching the Special Features disc. Merideth was already asleep for the night, and I wanted to watch the actual movie with her.

The first thing I watched was the Preview for the extended edition of Two Towers coming in November (Yes, I have 3 months before I have to buy Two Towers again). The preview made me very hopeful that they would fix some of the problem I had with Two Towers, it's depiction of Faramir. Apparently, most of the extended edition deals with the family dynamics between Boromir, Faramir, and their father, Denethor, the Steward of Gondor. Faramir has no love for a warrior's life and this attitude puts him a great odds with his father. The extended edition even has a scene which occurs before Boromir leaves to join the Fellowship, in which all three interact. I can't wait for that scene, especially as I love watching Sean Bean as Boromir.

While they can't change the major alterations of Faramir's story (I believe Faramir will still be forcing Frodo and Sam into Gondor in hopes of delivering the Ring of Power to Faramir's father, Denethor.). I will never understand why this change was made. It would have been just as easy for the Hobbits to run into Faramir and for Faramir to do the right thing at the very first, as he does in the book, instead of having some epiphany as he watches Frodo struggle to keep the ring from a Ringwraith. In the book, Faramir did the right thing straight away, not caring about what his father would say, because it was the right thing to do. The change in the movie does nothing to forward the plot quickly or enhance the theme's Jackson is exploring in the films. All I can figure is it let Frodo and Sam get into a cool battle scene to end the flick, and that is not a good enough reason.

The other special feature was the Ten minute preview of Return of the King. And, man, I can't wait for this. It looks great. It has the potential to be the most powerful of the films, and if he nails it, it will be a movie to be reckoned with.

Tuesday, Merideth and I sat down to watch the movie, and I was excited because I did not go see Two Towers over and over again like Fellowship, mainly because I was so annoyed at the Faramir thing. Watching the movie at home, knowing the things I didn't like were coming, I was able to marvel at all the things they did right. Golem is perfect. Perfect. Acting-wise, visually, technologically, Golem is a perfect creation. The battle at Helm's Deep is amazing, although if they are to be believed, the filmakers say the major battle in Return of the King, Pellinore Fields, makes Helm's Deep look like child's play. The Ents are great. (The special edition of the Two Towers will also feature Merry and Pippin drinking Entwash.) All in all, a fabulous film with one glaring problem, and that a problem with adaptation, that would not be noticed by those of us who do not devore these books on an annual basis.

And welcome Dave to the our Blog Commune. Epiphany in C. Caution, he is much weirder than you would think from looking at the guy.

New Friday 5 Member

Everyone welcome Colleen to the Friday 5 circle. Her first post can be found at Postcards from Faerieland

I cannot tell you how much I am going nuts without my family. My brain is going insane.

Friday 5

Today's topic by Gina

Five 80s songs you feel are underprivileged classics

This was a tough for a couple of reasons. First, until about 1987, I listened to nothing but country music. Alabama, George Straight, etc. Really, I had all of there albums. In 1984, I sang Looking For Love In All The Wrong Places by Johnny Lee for my 5th Grade talent show. So, while I have gone back and grown a fondness for early 80s music, I do not have the visceral love of it that one must have when an album first comes out and you play it to death. So, all of these songs are post 1986.

Also, 2 bands that should be on this list, Information Society and MC 900 Foot Jesus, but their albums came out in 1990. Damn

Second, These songs change on a daily basis depending on what mood I am desiring to recapture that day. But for today, here are the top 5 under appreciated songs from the 1980s.

1. Begin the Begin. Life's Rich pageant. REM. 1986. To me, REM's finest moment of a career of fine moments. I love almost every REM album. I am an REM nut. But Begin the Begin, aside from being one of the primary forces that pulled me from the maw of country music, is the most perfect rock and roll, jump around insanely, yell and scream song I know. It makes me happy in many, many ways. It is under appreciated mainly because it should be enshined somewhere near Elvis and the Beatles.

2. Mayor of Simpleton. Oranges and Lemons. 1989. XTC. History's prime example of 1980s English Bubble Gum pop. This song is a love song with a really infectious melody. There next album, Nonsuch, and the single Dear God, is really what XTC are remembered for these days, but this song is Pop at it's best. Bright, Happy and, God-forbid, Irony free. And you can dance to it.

3. What Have I Done To Deserve This? Actually. 1986. Pet Shop Boys. One of Pet Shop Boys greatest songs, and a fine dancing tune. The Pet Shop Boys, I feel, never got their just reward for being on the forefront of Pop-Electronica. Sure, people[ know who they are, but not enough know who truly ahead of the times they were. They were mimicked constantly in the late 80s - early 90s.

4. William, It Was Really Nothing. Louder Than Bombs. 1987. The Smiths. For a brief, wonderful period in Austin (earlier this year), there was a Radio Station that played classic 1980 alternative. Sadly, it is now a Tejano station, but for a while I got to listen to The Smiths on the radio on a regular basis. And this, for probably obvious reasons, is my favorite Smiths song. I love the goofily sad, non-sensical lyrics of Morressey. He really was able to tap into Teen Angst, back when it was just morbid depression.

5. Yoda. Dare To Be Stupid. 1985. Weird Al Yankovic. With a career spanning much longer than almost all of the musicians he parodies, I have felt Weird Al was never given his due. I still dream of the Weird Al tribute album, where the original bands sing the songs that Weird Al parodied. I have a terrifying collection of his work, and more frequently, has become my main source of information into what these crazy kids are listening to these days. Yoda is his most profound work. The Lyrics "I know Darth Vader's really got you annoyed, but remember if you kill him then we'll be unemployed" now seem sadly all too true.

Today marks the first day I have eaten within my Weight Watchers Points limit in about 6 weeks. I am quite hungry, but very happy to hopefully be getting back on the plan.

When Merideth went to Grand school over the summer, I was either Working or watching kids solo (well, truthfully, it just felt like I was working or watching kids solo) and dieting fell to the wayside. Because dieting takes time. Lots of time. It seems like it shouldn't. You eat less, therefore you spend less time eating, therefore you have more time. But, keeping the pantry stocked with diet-friendly food, planning meals in advance, making time to make food as oppossed to just running out and picking some up makes dieting quite time consuming. Then Gavin's Birthday rolled around, and Birthday's require food. Then Disney came, and no one should diet at Disney. Then the movie shoot, which I was too stressed about not to eat quite a bit.

So now. The diet returns. Next, I have to get back to the gym.

Yuch

Howdy.

Sorry for the long absence but I went all over freakin' Texas this weekend.

Sunday, I drove to San Antonio to see my parents. That was nice, but my father attempted to engage in some revisionist history, crediting himself for Merideth and I moving out of the one-room garage apartment we lived in for a few months due to financial troubles, when he had nothing to due with the decision. Yes, the apartment was too small for three people and an hour from where we lived. But it helped pay off a lot of bills and eentually set the groundwork for us being financially able to return to Austin, I love my father and he impacts my life in many, many ways. But he is often incorrect about when he impacts my life.

Monday, I drove to Dallas to have my camera fixed (the firewire connection is broken) and Dallas was the closest place I could have it fixed. They said I could mail it, but I had no desire to put my beautiful camera in something as crude as "the mail". Besides, a visit to Dallas is a visit to the Robertsons, which is a good thing. The Robertson's, by the way, are finally putting Blogs together, and I will have links for those real soon.

Tuesday, I drove from Dallas to Marble Falls, TX to visit with my Grandmommy. Tuesday was the first anniversary of losing Granddaddy and I didn't want her to be alone all day. We had a nice lunch, and avoided talking about politics. I miss Granddaddy a lot, but when I have to think about death, my sister fills all my thoughts.

But I am home now, and plan on doing nothing for the next few days. Well, I have to work, but other than that...

This is freakin genius.

Victorian Sex Cry Generator

**Warning** The site the generator is at contains pictures of a crude and salacious nature, so don't go browsing at work or anything...

The Link was originally found on Neil Gaiman.

Today's Friday 5 from Chris

Five Things That Other People Often Misunderstand About You.

1. I am shy. Painfully shy. Monumentally shy. The effort is takes me to be around new people is almost overwhelming. You may think I am loud at parties and enjoy making a fool of myself because I have no no inhibitions (and I have no inhibitions around friends). But really, these are masks I wear to make sure no one knows how shy I am. Now, I am gregarious and extravorted once I know the people arund me, I love friends, love to be around them and hate alone time, but having friends is a lot different than making friends.

2. I get angry. Few believe this, but I do. Sometimes, I have to stop myself from hurling things across the room. Like cars. I admit that these feelings are few and far between, in general I am a pretty laid back fellow, but some people think I am like a Budda. I want to emulate Budda-like tranquility, but I am not there yet. First, I must stop getting the urge to run down cars with Bush bumper stickers on them.

3. I like my house to be tidy. Now, you may not believe this, as most of the time my house is reminiscent of an overpacked thrift store, but I prefer things to be in there place. Sadly, the only thing I dislike more than an untidy house is housework.

4. I like guns. "But Will, are you not a Gun Control, especially a Handgun Control, fanatic?" Why, yes, I am. I believe guns should be heavily monitored and regulated. But,I like to shoot at targets and clay pigeons. I like the skill it takes. I like their history. I like the fact that I appear to be fairly good at it. But I still want them regulated.

5. My cavileir attitude towards money is often misconstrude as frivilousness. But it is really a value judgement. It is not that I do not know the value of a dollar. The problem is that I see no value in a dollar itself. But I can see value in a new toy for my child, a trip half-way around the world, a safe car, dinner with friends and helping people. Now, the fact that I do not see value in saving money for retirement will come back to bite me in the ass one day, but I have plenty of time to figure that out.


Also, I would just like to say that my wife's list proves she is nuts, as she is the most misunderstood person I know.

Other lists are Adam, Gina and maybe Melissa.

I originally emailed the following long-winder response to Chris's comments about the recent rulings by the Episcopal church on homosexuality. I emailed them to him because I felt it was too long for a blog post, but Chris suggested I post it anyway. So, here it is...

Comparing a Christian body of 2.2 million people, who have been debating, discussing and praying over gay unions for 10 years to a TV show whose bread and butter is shock and political incorrectness seems very condescending. The Episcopal Church, as I see it, was not rejecting yielding to a higher truth, instead, it was searching for that truth and finally found it. They decided to yield to a view they saw as possibly out of step with Scripture, but wholly in line with God’s goal for mankind. To me, the argument is not rejecting God’s understanding, but of learning new aspects of it. God is larger and more mysterious than I can even imagine. To say a book from 2000 ago encompassed God’s whole truth is simplistic and contrary to how God works. The Old Testament, especially, is full of God granting new and different paths to God's glory as mankind grew and evolved.

I agree with you 100% that spirituality is a relationship between the worshipper and the divine. And insight comes from communion with his presence. I agree that the obligations of faith strengthen us. But what are these obligations? The blindly following of a set of arbitrary rules (I say arbitrary because if we are following rules to prove our devotion, what the rules are do not matter. God could have commanded his followers to walk on coals or beat redheads, the rules by themselves are pointless) or is our obligation to discover for ourselves God’s will, and act on that will as best we as mortals can? And if our obligation is to discover God’s truth, then we can’t start off with all the answers. All we are given is a shove in the right direction. I see my obligation to God (and mine is different from anyone else's) as righting injustice. Not necessarily intolerance, although that is a factor, but injustice. The way Gays are treated by my country, my religion and my species is unjust. And after years of study and prayer and discussions like this one, God has told me to fight for what I think is just, tooth and nail, every step of the way.

It is not my wish to demean another persons view. It really is not. But if anyone says gays do not belong in our church (or blacks, or woman or anyone else), I know that that person is wrong. I know it deep in my heart. In my soul, God is telling me that that person is wrong, and that I must do something. My somethings are almost wholly ineffective, my somethings are to write blog entries, or make snide comments, or not invite that person to my party, but I have do something, because that is what I have promised God. It can’t be a question of allowing or not allowing someone their alternative views. I am all for alternative views. Transubstantiation, fate, the trinity, the resurrection, the miracles, you name it… Believe any alternative viewpoint you wish, fine by me. But telling me homosexuality is a sin is not an alternate view, it is simply wrong. My communion with God tells me that is wrong.

I disagree with your assessment that our media and entertainment show a rejection of a “faith-based” worldview. I do not see a Conservative Christian-worldview represented, but I see faith almost everywhere. I can also count on my hand the number of positive Christian conversions on screen (and 2 of them indeed involve Robert Duvall), but I could never count the positive depiction of faith in our world. Every story we watch or read heavily involves faith. Love is faith. Friendship is faith. Every week I see at least one new movie where a person must make a leap of faith in order to save themselves, either physically, mentally, or spiritually. These leaps of faith are what audiences crave because they remind us that our personal faith is important and has power. And I am not trying to be sneaky and redefine faith. Faith is a yielding to a power greater and higher than ours that we do not understand. Faith is the admission that there are things that exist that cannot be contained or described. Faith is listening to God, even if that is not how the person describes it. Yes, I would like a few positive portrayals of Christian life, although I would like to see a few positive portrayals of Muslim life even more.

Regarding the the recent rulings, I think you are slightly mischaracterizing the Episcopal decision. 2 issues related to Homosexuality were decided at this year’s conference.

1. The ordination of an openly Gay Bishop. Now, this person was elected by his fellow priests (in one vote) and by lay representatives of each parish (in a separate vote). The vote did not directly affect any diocese other than the one Bishop Robinson is now heading. Parishes are not obligated to install openly gay bishops (in fact many diocese in America will not ordain openly gay priests). The decision is up to the individual Diocese and their Bishop. The decision is totally in the hands of the Diocese. There was no universal decree that forced Diocese in America to accept gay priests or Bishops. The power of the Bishop in his Diocese is absolute. In the Diocese of Fort Worth, for example, a woman can still not be ordained as a Priest, because the Bishop will not let them. This ruling allowed those diocese that wished to ordain gay bishops to do so. It did not make it an across the board rule.

2. The accepting of a same-sex blessing ritual. Again, this was the allowing of Bishops and Diocese that wish to perform same-sex blessings to perform them. Diocese that do not wish to perform them will not perform them. As I mentioned in my last blog entry, there will still be no place in Texas a same-sex blessing can be performed.

But beyond these resolutions, is the question Is change in a church ever OK? Should Christians be exactly what they were 2000 years ago? If the answer is yes, then I do not know the Christian Church. If the answer is no, then that means that a church, to use Christ’s analogy, is a living body. Growing, changing, altering. If this change is part of the church’s mission, which I think it is, then there must be people who stand up and fight for it, and there must be people who claim that the status quo is the proper place to be. Arguments will occur, people will get upset. This is the nature of change, and it can’t be helped. Someone will win, and someone will lose. And someone’s long held dogma will be left in the road. This is inevitable and unavoidable. Blacks in church, woman priests, priest being married, all are the results of someone’s dogma being cast aside as we move forward.

On the old testament, Jesus absolutely broke the laws. He worked on the Sabbath, he touched the sick, he consorted with non-Jews, he smashed the temple moneychangers, he ate meat and spoke blasphemy. These were all laws, set down in the Old Testament, policed by the rabbis of the day and all broken by Jesus. He even cast aside the 10 commandments, saying instead that the most important things where to love the Lord, your God with all your strength, spirit, soul and mind and love thy neighbor as yourself. Jesus made love the law of God. A new and altogether more difficult law to follow. I do think the Old Testament can be disregarded for this argument because Jesus came to present the world with a new law. Paul might disagree, but I disagree with Paul on just about everything. Paul's’s church, to me, has no relation to the world Christ was attempting to articulate. But my bias against Paul aside, Jesus’ main command was to love God and each other. And believing a gay person is sinning is not loving them. Yes, I know this argument puts me in a trap, for I obviously am not showing love for people who think homosexuality is sinful. All I can say is I am mortal, and while I try to love everyone, I often fail.

And here, in the new testament, we come upon an impasse. Paul. Jesus, or any disciple that met Jesus and then wrote about it, does not mention homosexuality. It does not come up. Not once. Anywhere. Paul is the only person to call homosexuality a sin, and even then the translation is shaky. The term translated as gay man from the Greek written Corinthians is better translated as male prostitute, according to many Greek scholars. In Romans, some scholars read the condemnation of homosexual acts related to pagan rituals. I read neither Greek nor Hebrew (although I gave a very sincere stab at Hebrew in college, just so I could read the bible.) But, to me, Paul is an interpreter, not a maker of Gospel, and his interpretations are open to discussion, debate and change.

But justifying my dislike of Paul is not the point. The question is Is every word in the Bible meant to be followed literally. To me, the answer is no. The bible is a push in the right direction, the beginning of a life-long communion with God. Every word in the Bible is not fact (there are too many factual contradictions for that) and the dogma is a description of God’s will at the time the bible was written. Our personal relationships with God take precedent. My personal relationship with God, forged from many years of study, open denial of God, argueing with God, and finally coming to an understanding with God, tells me I am suppossed to fight against injustice. And that is all I can do.

Baby Pics of Alexander Norman Lipscomb

OK, I am testing a new comments program, as we have all decided Enation could use some serious help. So, tell me how these new comments work for ya...

Friday 5

My top 5 secret life goals

Some of these will have been implied by my actions, but have never been catagorically stated.

1. I want to visit 100 countries. I love to travel and this just seems like such a wonderful badge of honor. Why yes, I love this planet so much, I have trapsed across it all my life.
2. I want to start a successful business. What the business is does not matter so much. If the business makes tons of cash or barely scrapes by doesn't matter so much. I would just like to be my own boss (or partner) in an enterprise that pays my bills.
3. I want to be a Red Cross First Responder. If a Houston Flood or a September 11 happens again, I want the skills and connections to be on the ground, right away, doing stuff that saves lives.
4. I want to sing in a musical, one more time. Once upon a millenium, I had quite a good voice. In college, I studied with the Opera department, and they really made my voice do some great things. But since graduation, I have not studied at all, and 10 years without real training will kill a voice. I would love for Merideth to hear me sing when my voice is prepped and I have actually practiced the song for performace.
5. I want to go into space. Really. I am planning on it. One way or another, I am going up.

At first, I had planned to for this topic to be sillier (ride very ride at Disney naked, turn down a woman's advances because I am married, that sort of thing), but my real goals eventually forced themselves to be heard. I did not put down anything involving film or politics, as that would be too obvious.

Another wonderful move from my Church

Episcopals confirm blessing of same-sex unions

I love my church, but this is tempered by the fact that it appears that the choice will now be left up to the Bishop of each Diocese to decide whether or not to allow the blessings of same-sex unions. This probably means same-sex unions will still not be allowed in my diocese, or for that matter, anywhere in Texas.

Well, I have finally recovered from Disney and my film shoot.

The film shoot went very well, although it gave me 2 nights of insomnia. I think I have placed some much emotional energy into this project (because I could really use some proof that I will, one day, be good at filmmaking) that having the thing shot just threw my mental gaugues out of whack.

Overall , the shoot went very well, although I did have to subject many of my nearest and dearest to high tempatures and strange people. I hope they will one day forgive me.

I don't think I like shooting documentaries. One would never know it by looking at me or watching me away from film, but I am kind of a control freak. I like having a set story I am telling, I like having shots planned on a storyboard and rehersals and careful lighting. While filming this documentary, the fact that I could not tell people where to go, what to say or where to stand drove me nuts. So, narrative for me from now on.

Well, after I edit the 13 hours of footage down to 30 minutes for the documentary.

I love my denomination

Episcopalians confirm Gay Bishop

Thank God they ignored the threats of walkouts and schisms and voted for the right thing. It does my heart good.

Now, here is hoping the Episcopal body confirms the same-sex marriage rite, which is being voted on later this week.

I would now like to briefly refute anyone who says gay sex is against Scripture.

1. Old Testament. Unless you also believe that woman must be live in separate houses and bath in ceremonial baths during their period, and are also willing to spurn a US solider whose testicles were blown off while battling for our country, you have no right to claim the Old Testament as telling you gay sex is wrong.

2. New Testament. The issue of gay sex was totally ignored by Jesus and his disciples. The only person in the New Testament who brings up gay sex at all is Paul, who never actually met Jesus. And Paul's position is not that only gay sex is wrong, it is that any sex by any means that does not lead to a child is wrong. So, unless you agree with Paul that masturbation, oral sex, birth control and sex with your spouse when there is no intention of procreating is sinful, you have no right to claim that gay sex is sinful.

See, wasn't that easy?

--On Edit--
I am saddened to see that the Bishop of my Diocese, in fact, every Bishop from Texas, voted against confirming Rev. Robinson.
So, obviously, there is more work to be done.

Today's Friday 5, from Merideth

Also playing: Adam, Chris, Gina, and Melissa.

5 Things I can't pass up:

1. Nookie. Well, nookie with my wife. Probably an important distinction there. With the mammoth planning that goes on to find the what, when, where and how (the who and why basically cover themselves), the opportunity for nookie is never passed up.

2. Movies. A good movie accidentally on cable will keep me up all hours of the night, a new DVD will do the same. The opportunity to go to a theatre is dependant soley on time, and never if there is actually anything good playing. I would rather watch a bad movie in a theatre than do do most anything else (barring the above, of course).

3. New Technology. OK, I can pass up the purchase of it only because I am not Bill Gates, but man I can't pass on the desire to have it. Segways, Headset computers with belt CPUs, remotes that control eveything in the house, nanocameras, cellular tooth implants, cloning. Bring it on.

4. Mexican food. My food of choice, I would eat it every meal if I could. Whether I am hungry or not also does not factor in the decision, if offered, I eat it. Of course, this only applies while in Texas. I can pass up Mexican food in Paris even after 2 months without a tostada passing my lips.

5. Political Arguements. Sometimes I should pass these up, but I can't. When I argue with rational, intellegent people, the discussion is very stimulating. When I argue with right-wing kook-nuts (which is more often), I just get too mad to not shut up. Anyone telling me Clinton was a the worst president ever, and Bush is the savior of our country had better be planning to listen to me for 10 minutes. Of course, arguements with right-wing kooks never go well, as rational and logical arguements do not sway them from their rapid hate of all things liberal. The anonimity of the internet just makes this worse, and I try very hard not to post to someone's trolling diatribe on Bush's saintly ways, but I rarely succeed, and post a lengthy reply with is either ignored or refuted with "Why don't you just leave America?